Marlboro council tries to rein in billboards

BY JACK MURTHA Staff Writer

MARLBORO — Despite action recently taken to limit the number of billboards in Marlboro, applications for such advertisements have continued to flood Planning Board agendas.

Members of the Township Council introduced an ordinance at their Aug. 9 meeting with the aim of amending the municipal code and placing further restrictions on the types of ads that are allowed along Marlboro’s roads.

“We already have, I think, our fair share of billboards in this town,” said Councilman Frank LaRocca, who sits on the Marlboro Planning Board. “It is going to be pretty difficult to add any more, which is the intent of everybody.”

A number of proposals called for billboards tobeconfiguredinaVshape,with multiple messages across the sign, LaRocca noted.

If the proposed ordinance is adopted, billboards would be limited to one message per side, among other criteria.

The amendments would also prevent new billboards from blocking a driver’s view of retail signs, LaRocca said. He said this is an existing problem with some advertisements on Route 9.

Billboards will no longer be permitted on a property that already contains a sign with an area of 60 square feet or more, according to the ordinance.

Advertisements that could overshadow signs that already exist on the proposed property or retail center would not receive approval.

The minimum distance between billboards in Marlboro is set at 2,000 feet. After Planning Board members and an applicant disagreed as to how that distance should be measured, township officials have defined the procedure in the proposed ordinance.

Billboards are considered a conditional use in the Route 9 corridor of Marlboro. For an applicant to gain approval to construct a billboard, a number of stipulations must be met.

Prior to the adoption of a similar ordinance by the Township Council in February, Route 79 was also fair game for outdoor sign companies.

During council meetings, several residents have lodged complaints in regard to the number of billboards in Marlboro.

The billboard ordinance will be the subject of a public hearing at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at Town Hall. Residents may comment on the ordinance at that time. Following the public hearing, the council may vote to adopt, reject, carry or table the ordinance.

Also at the Aug. 9 meeting, members of the council introduced an ordinance that would increase the allowable lot coverage in residential zones.

At this time, 15 percent total lot coverage is permitted Marlboro’s R-60/40, R- 40AH and R-40 GAH zones. That number will increase to 20 percent if the ordinance is adopted following a public hearing at the Sept. 6 council meeting.

LaRocca said the move came as the result of a recommendation from the Marlboro Zoning Board of Adjustment.